Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-04-01
/ CHINESE DINNER.


EROUs AND FAITHFUL
We have in this little city about 30 China
men Of varying degrees of intelligence and
virtue, hut all peaceable and law abiding
citizens Whatever Objectionable features
the Chinese may exhibit when congregated
in large numbers and living by themselves,
as in San Francisco he must indeed be hard
to please who can find fault with them in
place like this. where their numbers are few
and they are not confined to any one part
of the town Even the cry of "Chinese
cheap labor" has lost its significance, for
they are a quick -witted race and soon learn
that their work is of the same value as 9TH
err people, aud charge accordingly And,
although they live inexpensively, their tastes
being simple and their wants few, when it
comes 10 a question Of giving they show the
generosity Of princes.
For years the work of teaching the Chi
nesc here was carried ON 10y one lady, who
held Sunday evening school at her own
house. assisted 10y such friends and neigh
bors as she could interest in the work. She
has her reward in the gratitude and aiiec
ton Of them all. They go to her with their
troubles, considering her their best friend
they shower gifts upon her and were she
in any trouble, they would think no sacr-
flee too great ~ he made il it aided her
I.atterly school j, held for them Sunday
afternoons in the rooms of the Wuman's
Christian Temperance Union, and in one or
two instances they have strayed into the
Sunday schools of the churches. They are
apt scholars and have an exalted opinion Of
the Importance " learning. Teaching them
is, to Il certain extent, laborious, because
they require "A teacher for each one. They
become very fond Of their teachers, and are
indeed singuiary afectionate. grateful
and gcncrnu, race Recently "A relative of
one Of the teachers died, and the Chinese
who attended the school in which she taught
sent her beautiful and expensive floral of
feriug for the caskrt, and were present at
the funeral service, even going 81 far Us to
hire a carriage and follow in the procession
to the grave. This was their own free will
offering, instiyated 10y no one, but the out
come Of their desire to show their sympathy
| for their teacher in her sorrow.
At Christmas they loaded the teacher,
with presents choice bits of carving, rare
china. hanlkerchicf,, etc. Their own new
| year followed SION, and they announced
their intention of giving dinner to the
teachers, To thi, the ladies' objected, tell
ing them they had already done 50 much to
! show their kindly feeling that it seemed too
much for them Ia undertake thi, additional
| labor and expense. But the Cinnamon were
not to he dis,uajed Said one. We cant
| do too much for our teachers they have
| done ~ much for us go just look at me.
| Only little while ago | could not even
| speak English; nov can read and write. -
| And "a little later the invitations were issued,
| printed ON the hright-red paper which Chi
naman loves and running thus Our New
! Year over. We have dinner for all teachers.
Come by Monday afternoon at o'clock. "
And signed by Sam Fond, Tom Chung, Kim
| Nok and otheis-nine in all.
The feast came off in one of the churches
which had movable pews They took away
those in the body Of the house and set II
long table, running from the pulpit to the
door, in place Of them. The invitations
were extended To the near relatives of the
teachers to two or three favorite clergy
men, and to some friends who had shown
| them Kindness in times past, though not in
| the educational Work-about 10 in all. They
We're not quite prompt in serving their din
ner. and Nok pronounced with a long ol,
4 th.4.
partly filled up the time by summoning
some singers Their voices are low and
sweet, and when they sing in their native
language the effect is delightful. Nothing
could exceed the courtesy and grace with
which Nok welcomed his guests. In fact,
the Chinese are always well-hred The
most ignorant among them possess a fine
breeding, which would put to shame many
an American of much greater pretensiunS
\ Chinaman may not always he honest, be
| ing human like the rest of us, he may
sometimes tell hbs and do other naughty
things hut he is never impoite. When
the dinner was served it was delicious
one. None of the Celestals sat down with
their guests, but waited upon them instead
| Their menu comprised raw oysters, clam
chowder, roast pig-delicate, juicy. and
succulent enough to have moved Ella to an
other essay-.tender turkey, fresh vegeta-
bles, dainty salads, and dessert of pie and
| plum pudding, ice cream and cake, Chinese
oranges, nuts and preserved fruits, with tea
and coffee Everything was perfectly cook
ed and beautifully served, and the dusky
faces shone as they waited upon their guests
with pleasure because they could do some
thing for those who had been kind to them,
Now, when it is considered that these men
are poor, that they work hard for their
money aud that this dinner was sponta-
neous gift to those who had hefriended them
| | think it must he conceded that such graf
| itude is almost phenomenal When did one
ever meet anything like it among the Euro
! pean foreigners who come in on the Atlantic
coast
! | wish that some of the superfuous Chi
namen ON the Pacific coast could be trans
ported to New England kitchens Many a
| hard working house mother would find her
cares wonderfully lightened by such AN adj
dition to her family. Noone should employ
u Chinese servant however, who has not
breadth enough to make allowance for and
have patience with the mass of tradition
utterly nromprehensihle to us which lies
behind all Asiatics. But any woman who
will bear this in mind, who will he patient
and gentle during the period of training
and will take pains to assure her new inmate
of her friendlness and goodwill, is sure to
find, if she takes a Cinnamon into her fam
lily, that in short time she viii have, not
| pnlv n well TRIMMED sprVnut Int n faithful
friend.